


we'll stay brand new

by waywardaussies



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Fluff, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Mentions of Cancer, and alot of fluff, and the death is only mentioned and implied, basically the smut is nothing, but not like a described death, just making out, lots and lots of fluff, smut implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-19 23:17:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5983972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardaussies/pseuds/waywardaussies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was those bright blue eyes that Dan saw and fell in love with instantly. </p>
<p>~*~</p>
<p>song fic to the song and music video "Over And Over Again" by Nathan Sykes</p>
            </blockquote>





	we'll stay brand new

**Author's Note:**

> this is a really cute song that i heard last week and it made me really happy for some reason. and the music video was just too beautiful i couldn't NOT write an AU about it. not all the events in the video are the same in this one shot, but its the same general idea.
> 
> shout out to pris (phandomestic on tumblr) for being a killer awesome beta

Bright blue eyes crinkled, laughing at a joke that was probably said in the boy’s group of friends. His hair, a raven black, contrasted with his rather pale and translucent skin which seemed to illuminate the dimly lit bar.

_How could someone embody the very essence of beauty and goodness,_ Dan stared from across the room, eyes shining and practically emitting hearts towards the boy on the other side of the room. The people around Dan seemed to fade into the background, just as the people in-between him and the boy just disappeared, and the only one that mattered was the pale beauty. Dan watched as his fingers wrapped around the cup on the table, fingers gently taking it in his hand and lifting it to his pink lips; that got Dan thinking about the boy’s lips, and how they were just the right size for kissing, and other things that got his mind running and heart racing. 

He was so busy staring, he didn’t even register that the boy was walking out the door of the bar. Dan had to think fast, running towards the door after the boy and his friends, not wanting to miss his chance…

He was just a second too late, watching hopelessly as the boy got into a car and drove off. Dan sighed, running his fingers through his fringe and cursed under his breath. “Way to go, you doofus,” He scolded himself. “You let an angel walk away…”

~*~

Months passed, the weather changed from thick, humid clouds–fogging his lungs as he breath–to brisk cool air, hitting against Dan’s face as he walked down the street. Hands shoved in his pockets, chin and mouth tucked in the collar of his jacket to keep from having to swallow the chilled air, he passed by rows of houses covered in snow towards the supermarket. He was running dangerously low on necessary supplies, like bread and eggs, yet still was in the mood for luxury goods, like chocolate… Lots of chocolate. He entered the building and made his way over to the refrigerator section, hoping that there was still milk available, since many people get the mentality that if they see snow on the ground, they must run to the store and empty the shelves in case they never get the chance to ever again. 

Dan sighed when he got there, and noticed that his preferred brand was no where in sight; just about to give up, he turned to walk down the aisle, until he stopped suddenly, eyes wide and mouth hung open in shock and bewilderment. The beautiful boy from the bar all those months ago was standing by the cereal section, holding a box of Shreddies and inspecting the card box exterior. Dan had all to do but let out a sob of overloading joy, but he decided doing that would be a bit inappropriate. Instead, he took a deep breath and walked over to the boy, hands shaking at his sides as the nerve started to kick in.

He decided that he should come off as “cool” and “interesting”, so he leaned over into the boy’s ear and whispered softly, “Shreddies? Really? At least go for a more exciting cereal.” 

The other boy jumped a bit, turning towards Dan quickly, and raising his hands up, ready to fight in case he had to. Once he saw that Dan didn’t look like a psychopath, he relaxed and let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah, I wouldn’t consider myself to be rather exciting. So I stick to the boring cereal, so it can relate to me more.”

“Ah, see, that’s where I think you’re wrong,” Dan raised a finger, growing silent as he turned to pick up a box of Lucky Charms, and turned back to the boy, and showing him the box. “I would say you’re very lucky.”

“And why’s that?” The man asked, before Dan’s comment actually hit him. “Did you just make a pun using a Lucky Charms box?” The man laughed, tongue poking out at the side of his mouth; the same kind of laugh that had Dan swooning over him in the bar all those months ago. Dan smiled, dimples forming on his cheeks.

“Because you’ve met me.” Dan buffed his chest out confidently, hands on his hips like some stoic and brave hero. “And yes, yes I did. As you can see, I’m a huge dork.” Dan shook his head, breathy laugh escaping his lips.

“Nah, you’re not a dork. But you’re definitely…” The man turned towards the cereal and picked up a box of Coco Puffs, and turned to Dan with them in hand. “Coo-coo.”

Dan’s mouth opened in shock, yet the corners went upwards to form an open smile. “Did you just… Steal my joke?”

“Maybe. However, I might be able to credit the creator, if I knew his name.” His chin rose, a small smirk playing on his lips, as he took a step closer to the brunette. Dan’s smile only grew from that moment on.

“Well, you can give your credits to Dan Howell.” Dan held out his hand, waiting for the other to take it in his, wanting to feel those soft fingers that he was so mesmerized by all those months ago. The man just smiled, taking Dan’s hand in his, and shaking it a bit. 

“I sure will, Dan Howell.” Bright blue eyes reflected the light from the fluorescent lights above them. “Phil Lester.”

“Phil…” The name felt familiar rolling off Dan’s tongue. He’s never felt more sure with a name before, other than his own. It made his gut do front flips and somersaults. And he loved that. “Nice to meet you.” 

~*~

“Where the hell are you taking me?” Dan asked, tone hinting a sense of protest as Phil led him blindly to some unknown place. All he could hear was Phil’s childish giggle, so close to his ear, and feel his tender fingers wrapped around his shoulders. 

“I told you, it’s a surprise!” Dan sighed, rolling his eyes behind the blindfold. “No eye-rolling!”

“How do you know I rolled my eyes?” Dan asked, a teasing tone in his voice. 

“I just know you so well.” Phil laughed, leading him a bit longer before finally jumping in excitement, reaching to remove the blindfold. Dan blinked a bit to get used to complete intake of light coming from the outside world, but once he adjusted his vision to a small bridge over a lake, he turned to Phil with a raised eyebrow.

“What’s this?” 

“I thought we’d go fishing!” His excitement was contagious, bright smile causing Dan to let out a small chuckle. “I found this place a while ago and thought it would be a lovely place to have our 5 month anniversary.”

“You’re so sentimental, it’s too cringe-worthy.” Dan joked, leaning over to kiss his boyfriend on the cheek. When he leaned back, he raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Wait… Did you even bring fishing poles? Cause I don’t remember you leaving the house with anything.”

Phil stayed silent for a moment, when suddenly he hung his head low and a faint pink tint painted his cheeks. “No… I forgot about that tiny detail.”

Dan couldn’t help the laugh that ripped through his chest, filling him with a light and butterfly feeling. He couldn’t get over how truly adorable Phil was, how he wanted to do something special, yet forgot the exact thing he wanted to do. Phil took this laughter as mocking, as he playfully hit Dan’s shoulder, a small pout on his lips. “Stop making fun of me! I forgot!”

“You’re so strange, you know that?” Dan’s tone sounded too fond for that comment to be taking rude, yet Phil couldn’t help his cheeks from deepening their red color. 

“I hate you.” He mumbled, hands covering his face in embarrassment. 

“No you don’t.” Dan teased, pinching the other man’s cheek and giggling slightly. “Why don’t we just go to a restaurant or something? I’ll pay.”

Phil couldn’t pass up free food, on his part, lifting his head a bit to meet Dan’s eyes. Bright blue eyes filled with so much affection and love, Dan could feel his chest tighten with a mix of excitement and complete fond. 

~*~

“I’m so in love with you.” Dan whispered, face buried in the crook of Phil’s neck. They were just on the couch in their shared flat, Phil mindlessly scrolling through his phone and Dan “bugging” Phil with tiny kisses and declarations of his love. Phil’s smile grew with every passing minute of Dan’s outright affection. It’s not that he’s never like that with Phil, but this was a new extreme; Dan was more reserved with his feelings, liked to show his love through meaningful actions, rather than kisses and voicing them.

So when Dan does something like this, Phil eats it up with every fiber in his being, wanting the moment to stay and last forever. He turned to face Dan, kissing the top of his head, his lips stretch into a smile on the thin skin.

“I love you too.” Phil replied, mumbling against his forehead and letting out a short giggle. 

“No…” Dan pulled back so he was able to look at Phil in the eyes, crossing his legs and turning to face Phil completely. “You don’t understand…”

“Uh, yeah I do.” Phil said, voice a bit higher in question. “I love you too, remember?”

“No but… I’ve never,” His voice cracked slightly, taking a deep breath before continuing again. “I’ve never loved anyone so much, so quickly, like I love you. And I know it’s only been a little over a year since we’ve started dating but…” He fumbled a bit with his hands, not knowing what exactly to do with them. They just fidgeted on his lap as he said the words he was happily frightened to admit. “But I’ve never been more sure in myself, that you are it for me.”

Phil’s mouth dropped; he had a gut feeling that he knew where this was going, and the rational side of him was saying This is too soon! You’ve only dated a year! You can’t live the rest of your life with someone you’ve only known a year! “I… Dan…”

“I’m not proposing now.” He clarified, and for some reason, Phil calmed down a bit. “I want it to be perfect, not on our couch.” He let out a laugh, face flushed red. “But when I get enough money, and we get a bit more settled in this flat, I’m going to give you the best proposal in the universe! You’ll have the best ring, the best experience, the best everything! This is my promise to you.”

Phil waited a minute, composing himself before giving Dan a wide smile. “I accept this promise.”

“Good.” Dan’s dimpled smile matched in width to Phil’s as he leaned in closer to give the other a sweet kiss. Bright blue eyes closed as Phil leaned closer into the kiss, hand reaching to cup the side of Dan’s cheek.

~*~

The dim lighting in the honeymoon suite gave off an amber color, coating the bedsheets and other furniture. The springtime sky started during purple and pink as the sun began to set behind the Japanese buildings. Having just arrived, the room was perfect, everything clean and neat and ready for Dan and Phil to live out of for the next week. 

Putting their suitcases down, Phil instantly went to the wide window, looking out into the busy streets of Japan, eyes wide as he took in everything he could possible see. Dan came up behind him, watching over his shoulder and smiling softly. After a moment, Dan reached for Phil’s chin, turning the older man’s head so he was facing Dan, and kissed his lips gently. Phil let out a soft sigh against Dan’s lips, leaning back a bit to whisper, “I can’t believe we’re actually in Japan, on our honeymoon.”

“I know,” Dan replied, lips going straight for the curve of Phil’s neck. “And we’ll explore everything… tomorrow.”

“And why’s that?” Phil said breathlessly with a smirk. His fingers tangled in the small curls at the base of Dan’s neck as he kept Dan’s head there, wanting the other boy to continue kissing that soft spot on his neck.

His lips worked their way up Phil’s neck, getting to the small dip behind his ear, where he grazed his teeth over the curve of his ear and whispered, “Cause we are going to be typical newlyweds and make love on the first night.”

“R-Really… We’re going to be that cliche?” Phil joked, but his insides were already starting to do flips with the way the younger man was kissing and nipping at his neck and ear. 

“Of course.” He trailed down the slight stubbly jaw slowly, moving his hand to the back of Phil’s head, and finally fitting his lips perfectly over Phil’s. The two moved as close as they could together, bodies flushed against each other as their hands and hairs tangled together. Dan was the first to have his hands travel down towards the bottom hem of Phil’s shirt, tugging slightly and slipping his cool fingers underneath to touch the soft skin of Phil’s stomach. 

Phil instantly took this as cue to reach down and pull his shirt over his head, lips detaching for a brief moment, before going back with more ferventness. Dan took this opportunity to allow how hands to freely travel over Phil’s chest and sides, without the thin fabric being a barrier. It didn’t take long for the men to make their way to the bed, Dan’s back colliding with the mattress as Phil made his way to hover over him, hands on either side of Dan’s head as he leaned down again to attach their lips. 

Heat spread through their bodies, breathing becoming heavy as their groins grind together, the friction driving them both insane. Their minds clouded with thoughts of pure ecstasy, yet they still were able to mumble out words of passion and love. Lips moved together in perfect sync. Bright blue eyes opened wide, pupils dilated with euphoria, staring down at a flustered Dan, and smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

~*~

“There’s nothing we can do… I’m sorry.” The doctor gave the old couple a sympathetic look, lips turned down in a frown. Dan turned to face Phil, watching as his blank expression harden to a more stoic one, wanting to be the strong one, despite how weak he was feeling. Dan reached an aged hand for Phil’s, holding it in his own, and giving it a gentle squeeze. It was that action that caused Phil to finally break down. “I’ll give you two a moment.” The doctor said softly, leaving the room.

“So they’re just going to let you die?!” Phil’s voice quavered, eyes clenched shut, hoping to wake up from this nightmare.

“They did all they could. The chemo… It didn’t work, Phil.” Dan tried to keep his voice leveled, tried to be the strong one for once. But the look on Phil’s face, the way his eyes glassed over, the trembling of his lips and hands… It broke Dan. 

“There has to be something else they can do!” Phil could feel his anger rising in the pit of his stomach. The idea of losing hope completely wasn’t even in his radar, he wanted to fight more, wanted to fight for Dan.

“They can’t operate on me, I’m too old.” He let out a soft chuckle. “Too old… Funny how time just passes us by, so quickly.”

“I’m not giving up on you. Not now, not ever.” Phil’s teeth clenched, yet his hands remained soft in Dan’s, comforting the old man, even though he wasn’t in the mental shape to be comforting anyone.

“That’s why I love you.” Dan whispered, taking Phil’s hand and lifting it to his lips, giving the wrinkled top of his palm a gentle kiss. “You’re stubborn.”

“And you’re not?” He let out a chuckle, yet as he said those words, he could feel his throat tightening as the choked sob escaped his lips. Bright blue eyes let tears fall freely down his wrinkled cheek, closing for a brief moment as he felt the pad of Dan’s thumb graze over the wet drop. 

“It’s going to be ok.” Dan whispered, and for a moment, Phil believed him.

~*~

Phil kneeled in front of the cold stone, flowers in his hand, and he placed them on the pile of dirt that made a hill in front of the engraved text. He couldn’t stop the sobs from ripping through his body, causing him to curl in on himself and bury his face in his hands. They shook his body, fountains of tears flooding his cheeks and neck, and he couldn’t make them stop.

On the stone were the words: “Daniel James Howell. 11 June 1991–28 March 2063.”

Phil reached his hand towards the stone, touching the cool surface gently, and running his fingers over the engravings. His fingers ran over the words underneath, which read “Beloved Son, Brother, Husband, Friend.” Phil’s hands traveled over the words “Husband” over and over again, writing over the word as many times as his body would let him before curling in on itself once again to let out another sob. 

He lifted his head up again, looking at the words at the very bottom of the stone. Bright blue eyes read the words, giving the stone a wet smile, and laughing slightly at the sentimentality behind the words.

_“I was the one lucky enough to have lived a beautiful life with you.”_


End file.
